PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Since January, Hellfire Club members throughout the City of Brotherly Love and beyond were not-so-patiently waiting for the weekend of June 2-4. At FAN EXPO Philadelphia, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, they would be meeting Joseph Quinn (Make Up 2019), who made an unprecedented impact among the Stranger Things fandom as Eddie Munson in Season 4.
However, that excited anticipation came to a screeching halt on Thursday, June 1, when FAN EXPO broke some concerning news on social media. Quinn submitted his passport to the U.S. Embassy in London on May 15 to obtain his work visa, and expected to have all needed paperwork within a week. But one day before the convention, he had received nothing. Needless to say, those who purchased autograph and/or photo passes were not pleased. While some blamed FAN EXPO for such a last minute bomb drop, others questioned the preparedness of Quinn’s team.
Over the next day, updates were posted every few hours, all of which essentially said the same thing: everyone involved was trying to figure it out. Finally, at 4 p.m. on Friday, June 2, there was bittersweet news: Quinn would be heading to the states, but he could only make it for Sunday. Therefore, he’d be meeting three days’ worth of fans in a single day.
Yes, it would be hectic. But as an early Eddie fan, I was excited. In January, mere seconds after tickets went on sale, I secured a day pass for Saturday and a Quinn autograph. Several months prior, I made my own Eddie Munson bear (Teddie Munson, if you will), complete with his white sneakers, denim vest and iconic hairdo, marking my first time ever hand-sewing something. I decided I’d either bring that to the convention, or do a graphite drawing of him to sign (I did this for Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim 2013) at Monster-Mania Con, and his reaction of “holy SHIT” was quite priceless).
On Saturday, since my schedule was now Quinn-free, I browsed the slew of vendors throughout the morning. One had the coolest magnets, so I got my hands on ones featuring Severus Snape (Alan Rickman, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 2001), Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory 2007), Milton Waddums (Stephen Root, Office Space 1999) and George Costanza (Jason Alexander, Seinfeld 1989).
I also attended several panels that my inner child absolutely gushed over. At noon, I sat in on a conversation with Bonnie Wright (After the Dark 2013), who discussed her years portraying Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films. A few takeaways: it’s impossible for her to choose a favorite Weasley brother; her most memorable moments on set were when she was with the other Weasley actors; she hopes that whoever plays Ginny in the upcoming TV reboot puts their own spin on the character; she’s working on a horror project or two (stay tuned for more info); and she has a massive fear of mice and anything that scurries.
At 5 p.m., I attended the panel featuring Steve Burns (Netherbeast Incorporated 2007), former star of Blue’s Clues. Fun fact: Burns has an insanely deep and soothing voice that almost put my sleep-deprived self to sleep. Throughout the discussion, he reflected on his Blue’s Clues years and the weirdness of being the only human cast member. For Burns, it’s an odd feeling to be called a “hero” and “idol.” After all, he’s just your average guy who loves music — did you know he sings the Young Sheldon theme song? Though he never expected to return to the world of Blue’s Clues, he’s thrilled to be involved and provide tips for the leads that came after him, including Joe (Donovan Patton, Lies I Told My Sister 2014) and Josh (Joshua Dela Cruz, Point Man 2018), both of whom he’s friends with.
Saturday was a success, but my excitement for Sunday was unmatched. At 5:30 a.m., I donned my Hellfire Club tank, packed up my Teddie Munson bear (since I had no time to complete a drawing), and set out for the convention center. At 8:15 a.m., there was already a line for Quinn, who would begin autographs promptly at 9 a.m. To be honest, I was expecting mass pandemonium as three days’ worth of Stranger Things fans converged at Broad and Arch streets. But it was organized. Those with a 9 a.m. redemption ticket were ushered into Hall G, where Quinn would be alternating between autographs and photographs throughout the day.
By about 9:45 a.m., it was my line’s turn to move forward. One by one, we shuffled toward a black curtain, behind which was Quinn signing posters, Funko Pops and more. I couldn’t wait to hand him my bear, but there was an odd assembly line of people leading up to him, who fans were forced to give their items to. These workers asked where we wanted the autograph, put a yellow sticky note on the spot, and passed it along until it reached its destination.
I’m assuming this was to save time, as there were many people to get through. However, handing something directly to Quinn and telling him where to sign would’ve taken the same amount of (or less) time, and would’ve made the quick experience slightly more personal. Additionally, the woman screaming to the queue, “No personalizations!,” didn’t have to be so stressed. From what I could see, no fans were causing an issue…they were just happy to meet one of their favorite actors after days of thinking it wouldn’t happen. Plus, there were signs stating the same exact thing.
Anyway, Teddie Munson received a chuckle from Quinn, who sported a black shirt, black leather jacket, black baseball cap emblazoned with a “P” and glasses. As he signed the bear’s sneaker, he described my creation as “fantastic.”
And so it went throughout the afternoon: Quinn alternating every few hours between the autograph booth and the photo opp area, where he ditched the jacket, hat and glasses. According to friends in line for a 12:30 p.m. autograph slot, things started to get behind later in the day. As the 1:45 p.m. panel featuring Quinn and Grace Van Dien (Charlie Says 2018), who plays Chrissy Cunningham in Stranger Things Season 4, approached, it was debated if this special programming should be canceled to allow him more time in Hall G. There were hundreds of fans waiting for their autographs and photos, but also several hundred in line upstairs, over an hour before the panel’s scheduled start time.
Ultimately, it was decided that the panel would go on. Quinn and Van Dien walked onstage to a roar of cheers, screams and applause and, for the next 30-plus minutes, fielded questions. Though there was a QR code to submit questions for the duo (having fans race to the microphones would’ve been a nightmare), the moderator only asked a handful of these before delving into her own questions.
According to Quinn, Eddie Munson originally had a “tattoo overload,” so the amount of ink was severely chopped down. The character’s iconic bats tattoo made the cut, but at the time, Quinn was in the dark about Eddie’s Demobat fate:
When we picked the bat ones, I wasn’t aware of his demise, so I wasn’t really aware of the irony…
On the inspiration behind bringing Eddie to life:
I kind of based him a little bit on some friends that were older than me growing up. You know how you have those people that, you’re kind of under their wing and you wanna impress them, and they tend to be quite obnoxious?
On his friendship with Van Dien and entering the Stranger Things universe so late in the game:
We’ve been clinging onto each other through it. But it’s so amazing to have a character in a world that’s as loved and with such devoted fans.
Afterward, Quinn returned to Hall G for several more hours of meeting those devoted fans.
What Worked
Overall, my first FAN EXPO Philadelphia experience was a solid one. There were fascinating vendors to browse, cool cosplayers to see, and intriguing panels to attend (I also saw Randy Quaid (Independence Day 1996), who stepped into his old Cousin Eddie shoes for 30 minutes). And of course, I got to meet the guy who brought one of my favorite Stranger Things characters to life. Given the amount of people attending on Sunday, I feared that it would be mass chaos. Thankfully, it wasn’t.
What Didn’t Work
My biggest gripe was with security. On Saturday, my friend and I had to literally ask a guard if they wanted to look into our bags. They rummaged inside for a second before sending us on our way. Not to sound pessimistic, but our world isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Given the massive number of people confined to one space, FAN EXPO needs to up the ante regarding security. Additionally, after the passport situation with Quinn was settled, it was announced that more autographs and photos were available for purchase. In my opinion, this was completely unnecessary, as he was already severely overbooked for Sunday.
Final Thoughts
Would I attend FAN EXPO Philadelphia again? If there’s someone I really want to meet, of course. Hopefully, Quinn will be welcomed back for 2024, taking place May 3-5, allowing fans to get a true meet-and-greet experience, not one that feels like a speeding assembly line.
Joseph Quinn photos by FAN EXPO.
